Clean Water Rule Repeal Resources Talking Points, Social Media, and More

June 2017 Questions? Contact Michael Kelly (Clean Water Action): 202-393-5449,

mkelly@cleanwater.org

Note: The Repeal was announced on June 27, 2017. Once the Repeal proposal is in the Federal Register, we will have 30 days to comment and stop this reckless proposal.

Talking points Rolling back the Clean Water Rule puts our drinking water at risk:

● The Trump Administration’s rushed repeal is the first step in an assault that will put the drinking water for 117 million Americans at risk. The Administration hopes it flies under the radar and that his process to jeopardize drinking water sources people rely on is finished before anyone even knows what’s happening.

● Repealing the Clean Water Rule puts polluter profits before public health. We don't get clean water by gutting protections for streams and wetlands.

● We can't support and grow small businesses by putting the natural water infrastructure they rely on at risk of destruction. We won't protect public health by ignoring the science that water quality throughout a watershed depends on what happens to upstream waterways.

● Repealing the Clean Water Rule is part of a huge assault on basic protections for clean water, including the Clean Water Act. It is a massive waste of time and taxpayer money that will put the drinking water of 1 in 3 of us at risk while EPA proposes a much weaker rule.

● Nearly 45 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, we have made tremendous progress, but many of our rivers, lakes, and bays are still not safe for swimming or fishing. Rolling back the Clean Water Rule will set that progress back.

● Low income communities and communities of color are already disproportionately impacted by contaminated water. Contaminated water can cause a variety of health problems, especially for children. Repealing the Clean Water Rule could put many of these communities at further risk. (source)

● The health crisis around lead contamination in Flint justifiably grabbed headlines. However, Flint is not alone; many communities nationwide are facing similar challenges. Instead of repealing the common sense Clean Water Rule, the administration should be focusing on what actions they can take to ensure all communities have access to safe, clean drinking water.

Rolling back water protections is bad for our health

● By slashing clean water safeguards, the President and Scott Pruitt are putting the health of hundreds of millions of us at risk.

● Few things are more fundamental to our health than the water we drink. No one should have to worry about pollution when they turn on the tap. But that is exactly what could happen if the Trump Administration succeeds in repealing the Clean Water Rule and replacing it with a rule that will cut the heart out of the Clean Water Act.

● Small and rural communities, who rely on private wells or whose water systems lack the resources to deal with polluted sources, may be hit the hardest by the roll back.

Protecting rivers and streams is essential to our heritage and we must pass our legacy of stewardship on to the next generation.

● This is the biggest threat to our water in a generation. On top of the President’s proposed budget that decimates our water protection programs, the Trump Administration’s reckless and rushed repeal of the Clean Water Rule compounds the potential damage to our precious waterways.

● Clean water is essential to the outdoor economy. In 2011, hunters spent $34 billion, anglers spent $41.8 billion, and wildlife watchers spent $55 billion. Repealing the Clean Water Rule and attacking the Clean Water Act puts our economy at risk. (source)

● Anglers and hunters know that clean water is essential to fish and wildlife. Repealing the Clean Water Rule will put streams and wetlands throughout the country at risk of pollution and destruction.

The Clean Water Rule is about stopping pollution before it happens

● People suffer when polluters get free passes to destroy our rivers and drinking water sources, which is exactly what repealing the Clean Water Rule will do. We need to be doing more, not less, to rein in polluters and stop pollution at the source.

● Families will not accept a future of more polluted rivers and more dirty water flowing through our taps, our communities, and our bodies. The Trump Administration underestimates how much the public cares about commonsense protections for clean water.

● Repealing the Clean Water Rule is another step in a polluter-powered assault on public health and our communities.

The Clean Water Rule followed a robust public process:

● Before finalizing the Clean Water Rule in 2015, EPA held more than 400 meetings with stakeholders across the country and published a synthesis of more than 1200 peer-reviewed scientific publications, which showed that the small streams and wetlands the Rule safeguards are vital to larger downstream waters. That won't be the case under Scott Pruitt’s EPA.

● Pruitt plans to ram through the repeal of the Clean Water Rule, then propose and finalize a less protective rule in less than a year. This won't allow for meaningful consideration or proper public engagement.

● Rolling back the rule will result in the same regulatory confusion that resulted in broad-based calls for clarity about which of our nation’s waterways the Clean Water Act protects. Rolling back the rule is bad governance, bad for businesses

who rely on regulatory certainty, and bad for our communities that deserve clean water.

Social Media

Twitter Hashtags: #DefendWater #ProtectCleanWater #DirtyWaterRule

● Puddles & ditches? Nope, #CleanWaterRule protects ephemeral streams & vernal pools that wildlife & drinking h2o need https://www.revealnews.org/article/trumps-puddle-and-ditch-order-will-have-destructive-ripple-effect/

● -@POTUS wants to remove protection for drinking water sources for 1 in 3 Americans. His argument is built on a lie: https://www.revealnews.org/article/trumps-puddle-and-ditch-order-will-have-destructive-ripple-effect/

● Not just "puddles & ditches," critical waters & wetlands are protected by #CleanWaterRule on Trump's chopping block https://www.revealnews.org/article/trumps-puddle-and-ditch-order-will-have-destructive-ripple-effect/

● Myth: #CleanWaterRule protects "puddles & ditches" Fact: It protects "as many as 60% of U.S. streams https://www.revealnews.org/article/trumps-puddle-and-ditch-order-will-have-destructive-ripple-effect/

● Simple Q for @EPAScottPruitt: Why would you risk the #DrinkingWater for 117 million by eliminating the Clean Water Rule? #DefendWater

● Anglers & hunters know clean water is essential to fish and wildlife. Repealing the Clean Water Rule will put these vital waters at risk #DefendWater

● In June @RealDonaldTrump said " We’re going to have the cleanest water". Not if we repeal the Clean Water Rule. #DefendWater

● Communities of color are often disproportionately impacted by contaminated water. Eliminating the #CleanWaterRule could make that worse

● By slashing clean water safeguards, @POTUS and @EPAScottPruitt are putting the health of hundreds of millions of us at risk. #DefendWater

● Repealing the Clean Water Rule puts polluter profits before public health. Ask @EPAScottPruitt - why risk #DrinkingWater? #DefendWater

● We don't get clean water by eliminating protections for streams and wetlands. Learn more: protectcleanwater.org (or your website) #DefendWater

● Clean water is essential to the outdoor economy. In 2011, hunters spent $34B. Getting rid of the Clean Water Rule puts that at risk. #DefendWater

● Clean water is essential to outdoor biz. In 2011, anglers spent $41.8B. Eliminating the Clean Water Rule puts that at risk. #DefendWater

● Clean water is essential to the outdoor economy. In 2011, wildlife watchers spent $55B. Repealing the Clean Water Rule puts that at risk. #DefendWater

● Eliminating the Clean Water Rule is the biggest assault yet on our water. We need to #DefendWater, not polluter profits

● .@POTUS & @EPAScottPruitt are gambling with our #DrinkingWater. Let them know it's time to #DefendWater, not gut the Clean Water Rule

● Repealing the Clean Water Rule is nothing more than a polluter-powered assault on public health and our communities #DefendWater

● Repealing the Clean Water Rule could make things worse for communities already lacking access to clean #drinkingwater. #DefendWater

● [Number/Percentage] of [State-ians] rely on small streams to feed #DrinkingWater sources. @EPAScottPruitt is putting those streams at risk.

● More of the public than ever are concerned about #DrinkingWater. #DefendWater (Gallup Poll)

Sportsmen Poll

● 75% of sportsmen support giving farmers & ranchers financial incentives to conserve land for habitat & clean water: http://www.trcp.org/trcp-national-sportsmens-survey/

● Poll from @TheTRCP finds 97% of sportsmen think that polluters should be held accountable & toxic spills prevented: http://www.trcp.org/trcp-national-sportsmens-survey/

● 4 in 5 sportsmen support the Clean Water Act's protections for headwater streams & wetlands, according to @TheTRCP: http://www.trcp.org/trcp-national-sportsmens-survey/

● 97% of sportsmen agree: ensuring access for recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, & hiking is important http://www.trcp.org/trcp-national-sportsmens-survey/

Facebook ● Donald Trump & Scott Pruitt are seeking to remove protection from millions of

acres of wetlands and from drinking water sources for 1 in 3 Americans. Their argument — that the #CleanWaterRule protects "puddles and ditches" — is purposely dishonest https://www.revealnews.org/article/trumps-puddle-and-ditch-order-will-have-destructive-ripple-effect/

● Ephemeral streams connect to downstream rivers. If the streams aren't protected, the rivers (& drinking water for millions) will not be protected. This is what is at stake as Scott Pruitt & Donald Trump try to eliminate the #CleanWaterRule https://www.revealnews.org/article/trumps-puddle-and-ditch-order-will-have-destructive-ripple-effect/

● The Trump Administration is putting the drinking water sources for 1 in 3 Americans at greater risk of pollution and destruction. They are eliminating the Clean Water Rule: a common sense safeguard that protects streams and wetlands throughout the county. They are putting polluter profits before public health and we have to stop them. Learn more at protectcleanwater.org [or your website if you have CWR info].

● We don't get clean water by gutting protections for streams and wetlands. We can't support small businesses by putting the natural water infrastructure they rely on at risk of destruction. We won't protect public health by ignoring science. The Trump Administration’s rushed repeal of the Clean Water Rule will put drinking water for more than 117 million of us at risk. Learn more at protectcleanwater.org [or your website if you have CWR info].

● While you may have heard about the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, there are many communities facing similar challenges across the country. We need to do more to protect drinking water, not less. Unfortunately President Trump and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt are leading an all-out assault on our water. The latest attack is to get rid of the common sense Clean Water Rule which could make things worse for communities already lacking access to clean sources of drinking water. Learn more at protectcleanwater.org [or your website if you have CWR info].

Sample Action Alert - Clean Water Rule Repeal Summer 2017

Email to your members, Subject line: Dear [[First_Name]], Our water is at risk! We have to act now. In 2015 the Obama administration finalized commonsense protections for streams and wetlands across the country. These safeguards protected the small streams that feed the drinking water sources for nearly 1 in 3 Americans. They protected wetlands throughout the nation that filter pollutants from water, absorb floodwaters, and provide habitat for countless wildlife. It was a no-brainer supported by millions of Americans and backed by science. It was a huge victory for our water. But that is all at risk now. The Trump administration has proposed rolling-back these protections and putting all of those water bodies at risk. We can't let that happen. Make your voice heard - send a message to EPA today. Tell Administrator Scott Pruitt: Hands off our water. Clean Water is essential to human health, vital to healthy communities, and necessary for a robust economy. We rely on these small streams for drinking water and these wetlands to protect our communities from floods. Craft brewers, outdoor recreation businesses, and other small businesses need clean water to succeed. Wildlife depend on the habitat these water bodies provide. The fact is - anyone who needs clean water, which is everyone, must make sure these small streams and wetlands are protected. That's why we must act now. We can't let the Trump administration put our water at risk. Take action today - click here. Sincerely, Name, org

Intro to the action The Trump Administration is gutting protections for streams and wetlands. They have proposed to repeal safeguards for water bodies that feed the drinking water for more than 1 in 3 Americans, filter pollutants, absorb floodwaters, and provide habitat for wildlife across the nation. We can't let this happen. Send a message to EPA today and tell Administrator Scott Pruitt to keep his hands off of our water! The Clean Water Rule was finalized by Obama’s EPA in 2015. Polluters have tried to kill it ever since and now the Trump Administration is helping them. If they succeed, they will put the drinking water sources for more than 117 million Americans at risk, along with 20 million acres of wetlands that protect communities by filtering pollution and more than half of the stream miles across the country. These streams and wetlands are vital parts of our water infrastructure. They are the backbone of healthy communities and a robust economy. We can't let the Trump Administration gut protections for them. Send a message to Administrator Pruitt below. Tell him that we need to strengthen, not weaken safeguards for clean water.

Message to Docket, V1 RE Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0203 Dear Administrator Pruitt, Every school kid who has learned the water cycle knows that what happens upstream impacts everything else downstream. If we allow small streams to be polluted, the larger rivers, lakes, and bays they flow into will become polluted. That is why I am strongly opposed to the proposed repeal of the Clean Water Rule. The streams and wetlands protected by the Clean Water Rule are essential to drinking water, small businesses, and our communities. Gutting these protections will put the drinking water sources for more than 117 million of us at risk. It will endanger 20 million acres of wetlands. Wetlands are so important - they filter pollutants from water, recharge groundwater, protect communities by absorbing floodwaters, and provide habitat for wildlife. We are losing wetlands at an alarming rate - the last thing we should do is make it harder to safeguard them. The Clean Water Act has a very bold goal - to make all of our waters swimmable, fishable, and drinkable. Repealing the Clean Water Rule will make it much more difficult to achieve that goal.

Please listen to the majority of Americans who expect EPA to protect clean water, not polluter profits, and stop this dangerous repeal process. Thank you for your consideration of my concerns. Sincerely,

Message to Docket, V2 RE: Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0203 Dear Administrator Pruitt, I am absolutely opposed to the proposed repeal of the Clean Water Rule. Repealing this vital safeguard will put our health and communities throughout the nation at risk. I strongly urge you to reconsider your position and drop the repeal of the Clean Water Rule. I am concerned about our water and want to see the Federal government do more, not less to protect clean water. This action will put the drinking water of 117 million of us at risk - that's the last thing we need to do. Too many communities throughout the nation already struggle with access to clean water. Removing this protection for the water bodies that feed drinking water, filter pollutants, and recharge groundwater could make things worse. As with many issues, low-income communities and communities of color will be disproportionately impacted by removing this safeguard, which could increase water contamination. Contaminated water can cause a variety of health problems, especially for children. In addition, small and rural communities, who rely on private wells or whose water systems lack the resources to deal with polluted sources, will be hit hard by this rollback. Protecting our water should be our goal, not protecting polluter interests. Please stop this dangerous repeal process. Please protect the Clean Water Rule. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely.

Message to Docket, V3 RE: Docket ID Dear Administrator Pruitt,

The last thing we should do is weaken protections for clean water. I oppose the proposed repeal of the Clean Water Rule. This roll-back is dangerous. Clean water is the backbone of healthy communities and essential to a strong economy. Repealing this commonsense safeguard puts that at risk. It will remove Clean Water Act protections for the streams that feed the drinking water sources for more than 1 in 3 Americans. It will endanger 20 million acres of wetlands that provide habitat for wildlife throughout the nation. It could allow the pollution and destruction of the water resources small businesses like craft breweries and outdoor recreation companies rely on. Repealing the Clean Water Rule is shortsighted and flies in the face of public opinion. More than 800,000 Americans supported the Clean Water Rule when it was proposed. It is grounded in science and the law. It is an essential tool to help us to get to goal of ensuring all of our waters are swimmable, fishable, and drinkable. Please stop the repeal process and get back to EPA's mission - protecting human health and the environment. Thank you for considering my concerns. Sincerely,

Sample Action Postcards Example below. Find downloadable postcard actions (sets of 4: 2-sided in black and white, 2-color, 4-color) here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qdmyelcem4p2dom/AAD2C73Lsb0IKiwvx6mX77Tka?dl=0

Sample Editorial Board Memo To: [INSERT NAME OF PUBLICATION] Date: June 1, 2017 From: [YOUR NAME] [TITLE] [ORGANIZATION] Re: Request for editorial - Repealing the Clean Water Rule puts the drinking water sources for more than 117 million Americans and [NUMBER] of [STATE-IANS] at greater risk of pollution and destruction The Trump Administration recently began the process to repeal the Clean Water Rule, continuing its egregious assault on protections for our water and public health. Repealing the Clean Water Rule will keep the small streams that feed the drinking water sources for more than 117 million Americans at risk of pollution and destruction.

On top of putting vital parts of our natural infrastructure at risk right now, the Trump Administration has expressed a desire to repeal the current Rule and finalize a new Rule in less than a year. This rushed timeline won't allow for meaningful consideration or proper public engagement. The public expects federal officials to be deliberate and provide opportunities to comment on proposals that will impact their lives and communities. Before finalizing the Clean Water Rule in 2015, EPA held more than 400 meetings with stakeholders across the country and published a synthesis of more than 1200 peer-reviewed scientific publications, which showed that the small streams and wetlands the Rule safeguards are vital to larger downstream waters. The Trump Administration seems to want to shortcut this process in order to avoid public scrutiny. We can only assume the Trump Administration wants to bypass the public because he knows that Americans are concerned about our water and support commonsense safeguards. Recent polls show that Americans are more concerned than ever about drinking water and a majority believe that the environment should be prioritized. More than a million Americans commented on the Clean Water Rule and the vast majority of those comments were in support. Polls at the time showed that nearly 80%, regardless of party, believed that the Clean Water Rule is essential to protecting drinking water. The Trump Administration intends to follow its repeal of the Clean Water Rule with a replacement rule that will be substantially weaker, and will cut the heart out of the Clean Water Act itself. The Administration intends to ignore precedent, defining protected waterways using an approach divorced from both the law and science. This will not only ignore history - both the Bush and Obama Administrations relied on ecological factors the Trump Administration would ignore - it will also make it easier to weaken key provisions of the landmark Clean Water Rule. Repealing the Clean Water Rule’s safeguards and replacing them with weaker requirements will put industry concerns before public health and clean water. It will directly and negatively impact people and small businesses throughout [STATE]. I urge you to consider editorializing on this important matter. I am available to discuss this issue in greater depth. Sincerely, [NAME], [PHONE], [EMAIL]

Sample Op-Ed The Clean Water Act turns 45 years old in October. It is a landmark law that has saved lakes and rivers and has been used to hold polluters accountable for decades. It contains a bold vision – making all of our waters safe for fishing and swimming, and eliminating pollution discharges. Unfortunately, after nearly 45 years, we still have work to do. Many of our rivers and lakes are still not safe.

The Trump administration wants to make this work even harder.

In February, the President signed an executive order initiating a scheme by which the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers will withdraw the Clean Water Rule. Just this week, the agencies officially proposed repealing the Clean Water Rule. This is the next step in the Trump administration's assault on common sense protections for clean water and public health.

It couldn't be more reckless.

The Clean Water Rule protects the streams that feed the drinking water for more than 117 million Americans and [NUMBER] [STATE-IANS]. It safeguards millions of acres of wetlands that absorb filter pollutants, protect communities by absorbing floodwaters and provide habitat for wildlife. It is essential to [LOCAL ICONIC WATERBODY]. These streams and wetlands are vital parts of our natural infrastructure relied on by small businesses like craft breweries and outdoor recreation companies. Without the Clean Water Rule, federal protections for these water bodies are up in the air and communities throughout [STATE] will be at risk.

Americans are rightly concerned about their water. We expect our elected officials to do more, not less to protect clean water. We expect our elected officials to prioritize public health. Repealing the Clean Water Rule is a shortsighted slap in the face to communities throughout the country. It will result in more polluted water and set us even further back from our goal of swimmable, fishable, drinkable water throughout the country.

Our water hasn't been this at risk in a generation. The Trump Administration is attacking our water resources with a dangerous budget proposal, the reckless and rushed repeal of the Clean Water Rule, and other actions to undermine pollution controls on major dischargers. Repealing the Clean Water Rule is a massive waste of time and taxpayer money that will put the drinking water of 117 million Americans at risk – risks that will be worsened when the Administration develops an even less protective rule.

Sample Press Statement Contact: [PRESS CONTACT]

Risking Our Water and Our Communities Washington - Today EPA administrator Scott Pruitt put the sources of drinking water for more than 117 million Americans at risk, along with the streams and wetlands that filter pollution and provide habitat for wildlife by starting the process to repeal the Clean Water Rule. "Today Scott Pruitt and President Trump proved they only care about one thing - putting polluters first. Repealing the Clean Water Rule puts the drinking water for [NUMBER] of [STATE-IANS] at risk right now. The Clean Water Rule is a commonsense safeguard for the streams communities throughout [YOUR STATE] rely on to feed our drinking water and the wetlands we need to filter pollutants and provide vital habitat for wildlife. The streams and wetlands the Clean Water Rule protects are essential - for drinking water and the natural infrastructure that small businesses and communities rely on. We should be doing more, not less to protect clean water. The Trump Administration is sorely mistaken if it thinks [STATE-IANS] aren't going to do whatever we can to push back and stop this reckless and rushed repeal."

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Shareable images and videos

Video: Dirty Water Donald https://www.dropbox.com/home/National%20Campaign%20and%20Comms%20Folders/Trump%20Clean%20water%20video?preview=trumpscleanwaterupdate2-22.mp4

Images

Find downloadable images here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kzvrzjr79l6svss/AADE9E7Iv4gKbMbX4Qi55n-la?dl=0